By Ben Kunicki BBC Sport Online

Australia's flamboyant spinner Colin Miller will be remembered for more than just his hair colour.

The Victorian journeyman's career has given hope to all those jobbing cricketers who believed that Test glory was beyond them.

However, after a disappointing season in which he was overtaken in the pecking order by Queensland youngster Nathan Hauritz and released by his state side Victoria, Miller has called it a day.

Through hard work in training and a cool head on the field, Miller transformed himself from an also-ran into Shane Warne's understudy at the ripe old age of 34.

Miller's final season was a disappointing one

This metamorphosis led him to play in 18 Tests for Australia, taking 69 wickets with a match-winning best of 10 for 113 against West Indies at Adelaide in 2001.

One of Miller's toughest contemporaries, Darren Lehmann, believes that Miller has made the most of his talent.

"He's got everything he possibly could out of his career," Lehmann comments.

All Australian spinners during the 1990s and 21st century run up against one stumbling block though, the ability of Shane Warne.

"It was hard for him. One moment he was Test player of the year then he couldn't get in the side," Lehmann says.

That was in 2001, when Miller had been an integral part of Australia's record-breaking side which won 16 matches in a row.

During that time Warne endured a number of injuries, giving Miller his chance but when Warne was back to full fitness, the Australian selectors went back to the great man.

Miller was named Test player of the year in 2001

"He started off as a decent medium-pacer who swung the ball and became really valuable to Tasmania," says Lehmann.

"Then he started to bowl really good off-spin which he proved by consistently bowling sides out."

Lehmann should know as the South Australian captain who saw Miller take the record first-class haul for a Tasmanian player, 12-119 against his side in 1997.

It was this remarkable form that also saw Miller break the record for the most wickets in Austrlalia's domestic first-class competition, 67 in 1997-98, a mark that had stood for 63 years.

Predictably for man who earned the sobriquet 'Funky', Miller's extrovert nature brought him as much attention as his play on the field.

Known for dying his hair a multitude of colours, Miller was one of those players who crowds readily identified with.

"Obviously he's been a great character of the game but he's a great bloke as well," Lehmann concludes.

He has also become an inspiration to cricketers of all standards of what can be achieved through perseverance and hard work.